History of Psychology

In the last chapter, we covered the work of philosophers and scientists who laid the foundations for psychology as a discipline. However, there is one area of science that is even closer to psychology and that also has long roots: neuroscience. In the present chapter we consider the history of neuroscience, focusing on work that was particularly influential on psychology. Much of that work can be divided into two questions. First, what are the relationships between anatomy (structure) and physiology (function) for specific behavioral phenomena? That is, where in the nervous system do different activities take place? What parts of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves do what? This is sometimes known as the localization problem. Second, what are the dynamic processes that the nervous system uses to transmit information? What are the specific chemical and electrical mechanisms that enable communication through the nervous system?